December 29, 2016

When we went looking for the Smith's Longspur three were a lot of sandhill cranes flying around.

None came close for crisp photos so this is what you get today.

Antigone canadensis

The Sandhill Crane’s call is a loud, rolling, trumpeting sound whose unique tone is a product of anatomy: Sandhill Cranes have long tracheas (windpipes) that coil into the sternum and help the sound develop a lower pitch and harmonics that add richness.

December 28, 2016

Tundra swans walking/paddling/swimming in a shallow semi frozen pond in a farmers field.

Cygnus columbianus Lewis and Clark provided the first written description of the Tundra Swan during their expedition to the West, where the birds’ whistle-like calls prompted Meriwether Lewis to dub them “whistling swans.”

December 27, 2016

One of our under appreciated birds. It's common here so it can't be special.
Stunning really.

Cardinalis cardinalis.
The male cardinal fiercely defends its breeding territory from other males. When a male sees its reflection in glass surfaces, it frequently will spend hours fighting the imaginary intruder.

December 22, 2016

We were checking to see what ducks ere in the marina at Erieau now that Rondeau Bay is frozen over.
One was a pied billed grebe eating a fish.

Podilymbus podiceps

Part bird, part submarine, the Pied-billed Grebe is common across much of North America. These small brown birds have unusually thick bills that turn silver and black in summer. These expert divers inhabit sluggish rivers, freshwater marshes, lakes, and estuaries. They use their chunky bills to kill and eat large crustaceans along with a great variety of fish, amphibians, insects, and other invertebrates. Rarely seen in flight and often hidden amid vegetation, Pied-billed Grebes announce their presence with loud, far-reaching calls.

December 16, 2016

Aythya americanaIn winter much of the Redhead population forms huge flocks in two Gulf of Mexico bays that share a name, the Laguna Madre of Texas and Laguna Madre of Mexico. Flocks numbering up to 60,000 can occur, feeding on seagrass in the bays.

December 14, 2016

Podiceps auritus Like most grebes, the small chicks of the Horned Grebe frequently ride on the backs of their swimming parents. The young ride between the wings on the parent's back, and may even go underwater with them during dives.

December 12, 2016

Forecast is for well below freezing temperatures starting Wednesday so the pump comes out Tuesday.

Spizelloides arborea

Misleadingly named by European settlers reminded of Eurasian Tree Sparrows back home, American Tree Sparrows are ground birds. They forage on the ground, nest on the ground, and breed primarily in scrubby areas at or above the treeline.

December 11, 2016

Not getting as much as some places but it looks like we will have a white Christmas.

White breasted nuthatch at the suet log.

Sitta carolinensisIf you see a White-breasted Nuthatch making lots of quick trips to and from your feeder – too many for it to be eating them all – it may be storing the seeds for later in the winter, by wedging them into furrows in the bark of nearby trees.

December 10, 2016

The pond is iced over and the stream is down to a trickle but there are still a lot of birds coming in for a drink.

The heated water-bowl will be out later today.

We had jays, goldfinches, sparrows and juncos at the water today.

Junco hyemalis

The Dark-eyed Junco is one of the most common birds in North America and can be found across the continent, from Alaska to Mexico, from California to New York. A recent estimate set the junco’s total population at approximately 630 million individuals

December 08, 2016

The oldest recorded wild Caspian Tern was at least 29 years, 7 months old when it was found in Louisiana in 1989. It had been banded in Michigan in 1959. The average life span of Great Lakes Caspian Terns is estimated to be 12 years.

December 07, 2016

Woodpeckers don’t sing songs, but they drum loudly against pieces of wood or metal to achieve the same effect. People sometimes think this drumming is part of the birds’ feeding habits, but it isn’t. In fact, feeding birds make surprisingly little noise even when they’re digging vigorously into wood.

December 04, 2016

Another of the visitors to the yard and pond. A few minutes later he was splashing away.

Setophaga coronata

The Yellow-rumped Warbler is the only warbler able to digest the waxes found in bayberries and wax myrtles. Its ability to use these fruits allows it to winter farther north than other warblers, sometimes as far north as Newfoundland.

December 01, 2016

A while back, before we took the pontoon out for the year, we had a great blue heron do a fairly low fly over.

Ardea herodias

Great Blue Herons congregate at fish hatcheries, creating potential problems for the fish farmers. A study found that herons ate mostly diseased fish that would have died shortly anyway. Sick fish spent more time near the surface of the water where they were more vulnerable to the herons.